1. Field of the Technology
The present disclosure relates generally to mobile stations operating in wireless communication networks, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for increasing data throughput by grouping data packets into maximum transmissible unit (MTU) sizes of data frames.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mobile communication device, such as a mobile station which operates in a wireless communication network, may provide for packet data communications. The mobile station may, for example, be compatible with 3rd Generation (3G) communication standards (such as IS-2000 Release 0) and utilize Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), or Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE) wireless network technologies. In such mobile stations, multiple user applications of the mobile station may include an Internet browser, an electronic mail (e-mail) application, a file transfer application, and other applications for which “best efforts” data transfer are desired.
Wireless data communication protocols, such as those of GPRS and its superset, EDGE, may allow for the efficient use of radio and network resources, particularly when data transmission characteristics are packet-based, intermittent, and non-periodic. Realistic data communications may be frequent with small transfers of data (e.g. less than 500 octets or bytes), or infrequent with large transfers of data (e.g. more than several hundred kilobytes). These radio protocols are sensitive to data payload size of the data packets, which may vary and be different from the maximum transmissible unit (MTU) size permitted by the logical link controller (LLC). Specifically, data payload throughput using GPRS or EDGE protocols increases as data payload size increases. However, it is generally desirable to maximize the data throughput of the system regardless of the data payload size of the data packets.
Accordingly, what are needed are methods and apparatus for increasing data throughput in such systems so as to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art.